Democracy Switches Hands
by VaultoftheExalted
Summary: An alternate universe where Count Dooku developed a contingency plan to counter Palpatine's eventual betrayal of him and where Lux Bonteri did not discover that Count Dooku was behind his mother's death. The Separatist people got a taste of freedom in the Clone War and with Dooku's blessing, they are not about to lay down and die, in spite of the Sith and corporate corruption.
1. The First Rebellion: Chapter 1

The First Rebellion

**1****9 BBY  
Confederate Parliament, Raxulon  
**The grandest immutable hallways of the Confederacy was contaminated by blind panic. The once distinguished and capable senators from all over the Confederacy of Independent Systems, collided with one another in the hallways as their aides followed quickly beside them, updating them with information from their holographic comlinks. The only saving grace for the members of Parliament was that they were all heading toward the same direction, that of the Congressional Assembly.

The Confederate Parliament had been jostled from their homes in the various member worlds that they represent to be told that the war has taken a grave turn for the worse. The Faction Leaders had invoked Article 17 A-PSSF of the War Powers Act established in 22 BBY to call an emergency session on Raxus; attendance is mandatory. All strategic evaluations placed the course of the war in the Confederacy's favour and the Senators, hopeful in their eventual victory, resigned themselves to their home planets to spend the final, closing years of the war with their families.  
Now, with Count Dooku assassinated and the Republic reorganising into a militant state centred around an autocrat, the Confederacy found their leadership decapitated. To make matters worse, the Separatist Council, in a move that sparked outrage, appear to have decreed that the Clone Wars was over, shutting down the battle droids with a blanket command paralysing the armed forces.  
Perhaps a partial reason for the haste in convening is that Raxus, as of this morning, is almost completely undefended. It would only be a matter of time before the Imperial Navy closes in on the nascent capital, obliterating the planet from orbit, surely to make an example of the final bastion of Separatist leadership to all worlds that still support its cause.

Lux Bonteri caught up with a familiar-looking Leyakian some distance ahead of him. An astromech droid clung to the young boy's heels like a loyal Corellian hound. "Senator Bluss!" He shouted rushing up to his side and finessing a holo-projector from his left pocket. "There's something you should see."  
The Leyakian didn't dismiss him outright out of respect for his mother, but he did fire back with an angry retort, "What could possibly be so important, Bonteri?! Are you not yet enduring the circumstances of our situation?" By Bluss's healthy orange hue seems to have faded into a crippled kind of amber, he obviously hasn't slept since he received the news.  
"It's important," Bonteri insisted activating the holoprojector to reveal the stalwart image of Count Dooku. "I was looking through my mother's things and found this message. It looks like she only got halfway through before she was…" Bonteri's voice trailed off, his eyes seeming distant.

"Murdered?" Said Bluss, a hint of sympathy creaking into his voice.

"Yes, that." Lux carried on, his mood swinging away from grief to that of urgency, "It seemed all too real, too convenient. Maybe it's the Force but, Count Dooku knew he was going to be killed," at that suggestion, Bluss's aide raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

By responded, "What do you mean? He was killed in the attack on Coruscant! How could he have possibly figured that he could be killed? It was only the most well-defended Republic planet in the galaxy!" The sarcasm poisoned his voice.

"Just listen to me!" Bonteri protested, the pair nearing the Assembly room now. "Count Dooku was looking into the Chancellor shortly before he died. That man has been playing the Republic and us for fools! The Chancellor ordered the Jedi to kill him before he could do anything about it." He was torn, advocating for the man who he suspected of killing his mother sickened him, but the contents of that message was too significant to ignore.

"That's all very concerning, but we're about to clash sabres with this Empire in the coming days and we have no army," Bluss scowled but he seemed intrigued. "What exactly do you expect of me?" The two had entered the doors, about to part ways into opposite sides of the chamber. By Bluss slowed his pace but, he wasn't about to block the way for his colleagues, so he gestured impatiently at Bonteri to finish.

Bonteri straightened, appearing as sympathetic as he could before saying in almost a whisper, "I need allies. They'll never listen to a junior Senator. I need you to consider taking R5 here and presenting my findings to Parliament. We have much at stake, but the Senate needs to hear this." R5 beeped cordially, making his way over to the astounded Leyakian.

The elder senator nodded sagely, patting the astromech on its metal dome before saying, "Well alright Lux. Out of respect for Count Dooku and your mother, I will put whatever conspiracy is on this droid out to the Floor. It only makes sense to pay homage to the founder of our movement and I doubt anyone else has anything substantially prepared."

With that, they separated. Bluss took a seat on the far end of the aisle, gazing pensively at the rest of his colleagues. In spite of the cacophony, the diverse members of the Separatist Parliament summoned the dignity to find their seats in an orderly fashion. It did hardly enough to silence them, however, as the scene of the Confederate legislature erupted into panicked half-shouting and accusations. The major leaders of the Senate factions took charge, with Voe Atell on one side and Kerch Kushi, Mina Bonteri's successor, on the other. They glared at one another as is traditional, but they could not exactly express their bitter hatred for one another beyond this infernal noise.

Ordinarily, the Congressional Leader would assume the Chair, but ever since the death of Bec Lawise, that spot had remained empty. With both him and Count Dooku gone, there was no one to preside over Parliament, no one to smack their gavel and tame the outrage. Bluss tried to narrow his focus against the indefatigable chaos, concentrating on what Dooku was trying to say through R5's holoprojector. As the supercilious Count spoke, his meaning becomes clear, Bluss grew more stunned.

The Senator seized the initiative, ordering R5 to deposit a microphone into his hand as he approached the Chair. He tapped into the system's audio broadcast array and screamed. "There will be order in this Parliament!" His shouting, punctuated by the brief feedback of the sound projectors, quieted the room. The Assembly stared back at him, the shock still registered on their faces. Bluss's own face heated up as he cursed himself for this gross demonstration of parliamentary conduct. He sought to justify it through the circumstances but imposing himself as Speaker of the Assembly is politically questionable at best and grounds for removal at worst.

Though, why should he worry? There were no battle droids to remove him from the Chair if they decided to punish him for his outburst. He defaulted to all his training and expertise as a politician to mask his apprehension and immediately launched into a fiery tirade. "Is this Parliament so broken and fractious that it resembles the Republic in its inability to draft effective legislation? Now more than ever we must make a decision. I inquire the members of Parliament, does it have a solution for the events that have transpired?" Bluss paused, receiving no response but the silence of bitten tounges and prideful sneers.

Voe Atell spoke first, the leader of the War Faction has always been the headstrong one. "The only solution would be to reform some sort of defence! The tyranny of the Republic knows no bounds proclaiming this so-called Empire. I understand that the Opposition may find it detestable, but the only course of action we can reasonably take is to expand the powers of the military and begin the mass conscription of organic soldiers!"

Her comments elicited nothing but hisses from the Peace Faction. Conscription would be suicide for the Separatist war effort, in their eyes. The utilisation of droids has always been touted as propaganda by the Confederacy. They accused their opponents in the Republic for putting organic life in danger, forcing a slave army of clones and a monastic order of peacekeepers to fight. Atell's comments didn't exactly draw out unilateral praise from her allies however, they mostly sat still nodding politely. After all, organic soldiers are far more expensive to maintain than your average B1 battle droid. A raise in taxes has always been met with harsh criticism from the representatives of Confederate planets.

Kushi angrily retorted across from her, "Now you would place Confederate lives on the line in pursuit of desperate warfare. When will the Majority learn that our citizens have already been rationing for years to support the war effort? Now we have to give up our crops to sate the billions of soldiers required to repel the Imperial dogs." He shook his head as appalled at the logic of his colleague and rose to speak once more. "What we must a consider is a formal peace treaty with Palpatine on Coruscant, the sooner we act, the better terms we may be able to negotiate."

That suggestion was met with similar opposition. With an Empire in power, it is no guarantee that they would even accept anything other than complete and total surrender. The opportunity is there, for it is virtually impossible now for the Confederacy to negotiate from a position of power. Without Dooku and the droid armies, they lose most of their leverage.

"You wish to give up everything we fight for!" Effervesced a voice from the Majority, motivating the rest of the Assembly to shout in overlapping voices once more.

"Order! Order!" Bluss exclaimed, finding the gavel underneath the Chair's desk and rapping it several times on the wood. "While I would insist on some sort of compromise, the time required to deliberate is unacceptable. I request to present Parliament with an alternative, if the Faction leaders are willing." He caught the eye of Lux Bonteri in the crowd, the boy beckoning him to continue as non-verbally as he can. Bluss obliged him, accepting the Faction leaders' reluctant yield of the floor to him, manoeuvring to the centre of the room, arriving at the designated podium where he ordered the R5 unit to tap into the presentation array's holographic interface.

When Count Dooku's translucent silhouette manifested in the centre of the room, Bluss was relieved to discover that he still had enough charm, enough effectual leadership associated with his person, that it alleviated the tension in the room enough so that the members of Parliament forgot to find something to be outraged about. His job was done, so he resigned himself to the podium, leaning at the slightest angle to express his inward exasperation with the whole thing.

Count Dooku's typical stern countenance drew no objections as the message began, "Most exalted members of the Parliament of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, I beseech your attention. If this message is being played before you, then I have perished." Dooku spoke with ceremonially broad, but conservative in the number of gesticulations to help convey his words. "It is with great disdain that I elucidate upon this Parliament that Chancellor Palpatine is a Sith Lord."

The Assembly held its breath but remained quiet. Some bore a confused expression, others of dread.

Dooku continued, "This alias, Sheev Palpatine, is a Sith deception constructed to rise to power under the noses of the Republic. It was this Darth Sidious that orchestrated the first blockade of Naboo, forcing our government to separate under the pressure of rising tensions. It was Palpatine that supported the likes of Nute Gunray to helm the Trade Federation, and I have reason to believe that he has corrupted the entirety of the Separatist Council in his schemes. My discoveries, my divinations into the Force as a former Jedi have revealed a sickness that has infected the leadership of the Confederacy's corporate sponsors. Sidious's corruption ran deep in the Republic, slowly they undermined their democratic institutions by granting more and more emergency powers to the Office of the Supreme Chancellor, exerting influence over the Republic. For the Separatist Alliance, the Sith have made us all out for fools, restraining our war effort, overruling our assaults so that the war can continue. The prevention of a swift victory was crucial in enabling our sides to weaken each other, to draw out the desperation of the people into pledging their support to the Chancellor."

Dooku's expression was grim and dark, Bluss was used to him speaking so impassionately before Parliament, but to see his mood become so severe was alien to him. It only continued from there, "If I have died, in this attack on Coruscant, it is because Palpatine has corrupted a Jedi in the order: Anakin Skywalker. Subverting the ideas of the Jedi Code, he will be coerced to slay me, should he be given the opportunity. If I know the Sith, they would likely have already begun tying up loose ends. Sideous may have already sent his agent of darkness to destroy the Separatist Council, forcing a ceasefire by arresting the battle droids with the shutdown command. I predict, that with his control over the armies of the Republic, that he will use the clones to turn on the Jedi, manufacturing a coup d'etat to justify his wanton murder."

The Count spat fiercely at that as his tone grew even harsher, "This dark lord is responsible for the deaths of countless innocents, for the destruction of entire worlds, and for the subversion of truth and democratic values. I refuse to be a pawn in his games. We are a legitimate government, we do not bend the knee to the insignificant quandaries of farcical religious organisations like the Sith. Ancient feuds between the Dark Side and the Light have no place among the sensibilities of the common man. The people should not have to stand for this diversion, should not have to lie down and accept the manipulation that has clouded the minds of the Galactic Senate. Within this message is a countermanding order to reverse the effects of the shutdown command. I ask this parliament to use it and continue the struggle. Furthermore, confronted with the existential threat of annihilation, I move to distance myself from any resemblance of the Chancellor, in that, I would pursue restoring power to the Civilian Government and terminating the War Powers Act afforded to the seat of the Head-of-State. Additionally, to prevent this abuse of powers from occurring again, the Bylaws of Independent Systems must be modified to form a stronger constitution. One that respects the rule-of-law, restores confidence in the government and prevents the rise of tyranny through resilient systems of checks and balances. The central amendment shall be the dissolving of the Separatist Council and the division of the Executive into a Cabinet of Ministers formed around the government of the Chairman."

He elaborated, "I would appoint the young senator, Lux Bonteri, as the first to serve in this office." The statement derived some muted protest from portions in the Assembly.

"I recommend that Parliament form an oversight committee to partially nationalise our corporate sponsors in order to make certain that the Sith are no longer able to control them for the remainder of the war. The Head of State shall be relegated to ceremony and iconography, tied to the noble houses of Serenno. After me, my successor is rightfully Adan Dooku, living in exile on Alderaan. Consider discreetly contacting Senator Bail Organa; he is the most likely of the Senators in the Republic to form a shadow government against Palpatine. My formal resolution is encoded in this message, and I graciously request the review of Parliament."

The message was nearing its end now, with Count Dooku waving away a droid who sought to inform him about the Coruscant Invasion Fleet becoming underway. "We began a movement some years ago to defy the tyranny of the Republic. To us, they were insufferable in their bureaucracy, while our trade was suffocated by the Republic's refusal to police the hyperlanes for pirates, their Senators continued to bicker over their salaries. Our people starved from the apathy and avarice of Coruscant all the while demanding more taxes, more fines, more regulations. We answered with this Confederacy, with a grand resistance that was more than just a political statement or difference in policy, but a movement, an identity and a willingness to fight tyranny. If we must fight this next war against the Sith alone, we shall do that too."

Count Dooku outstretched his hand, seeming to look every single Senator in the eye as he infused them with hope, arming them with the convictions they would need to continue weathering the storm ahead. "Long live the Separatist Alliance," he said finally, the message winking off along with his holographic representation on the Floor.

The Parliament was silent for once, seeming unsure of how to react to Dooku's message until one of the more fervent Senators rose up in his seat and shouted, "Long Live the Separatist Alliance!" His comrades soon joined him in a series of patriotic hoots and cheers, rousing the other Senators to match them. The entire Assembly once again trembled with the roar of its delegates, this time not screaming in a panic and arguing amongst each other, but instead in unison, in solidarity with the Confederate cause.

Bluss tried to get word in, speaking over the rising chorus of chanting and courageous rhetoric, "According to the Bylaws of Independent Systems," he struggled. "A voice vote is required! All in favour of reactivating droid forces say, Aye!"

**_"_AYE!" **Came the response from virtually all of Parliament. It was rare that they were ever unanimous on something.

"All opposed say, Nay!" commanded Bluss as the Assembly grew more and more rambunctious. Bluss didn't hear anything even resembling a nay, whether it was the noise or not, he could not tell. "The Ayes have it!" he proclaimed.

Bluss proceeded with the next vote, this time making sure to quiet the Senators, "Order! Order! I say, order in this Parliament. All for deliberation in the amending of the Bylaws of Independent Systems in accordance with the late Count Dooku's resolution say, Aye!"

"Aye!" said one Senator.

"Aye!" said another, though less enthusiastically.

"All opposed say, Nay!"

"Nay!" echoed a few senators, mostly from the diehards in the Peace Faction.

"The Ayes have it," Bluss announced pridefully, relieved at having successfully presided over a vote in Separatist Parliament. Though he did begin feeling a sense of errant conservatism that made him second guess himself. Should they have acted so rashly? He shook his head, dismissing it from his mind, if they didn't act now, while emotions ran hot, they would never have the motivation to act in their own defence. He caught Lux in the crowd again, noticing that he wore the same bewildered expression.

* * *

**19 BBY**

**Kachirho Beach, Kashyyyk**

41st Elite Corps Clone Trooper CT-6642 "Sav" meandered lackadaisically on the beachfront with the rest of his platoon. The light was beginning to break through the heavy cloud cover and he could make out the shapes of the other retrieval parties further along the shoreline. His unit was ordered to break down Separatist equipment and haul them onto transports to be melted down. Droids, tanks, even crashed Vultures littered the coarse sands of Kachirho as he cursed to himself underneath his helmet about the monumental task of cutting down all of that equipment into manageable chunks to fit onto the gunships.

_Damn Seppies always got to bring heavy blaster fodder. I thought B1's were supposed to be light? _

Sav was trying to finesse his fusion cutter into removing the right tread of a Snail Tank. Separating it from the main body wasn't as easy as welding it back on again. The engineer was specialised in putting things together, not taking them apart. A fact that he sometimes frequently shared to his very annoyed and very stressed Lieutenant. he couldn't complain too much though, it was either this or looking for and somehow detaining the greatest Jedi master in existence. He wasn't about to get cut up today by a lightsaber, he figured.

"Hey, Sav, check it out!" The clone turned to look at his platoon heavy weapons specialist, Trooper Dex. He was standing next to a battle droid he was about to decommission. He went all rigid, pointed his DC-15A blaster in the air, giving a bad impression of a B1 model, "Roger, roger."

"You know Dex, they say imitation is a form of flattery, so it's nice that you're getting so affectionate with something almost as dumb as you are!" Sav said, the sarcastic twinkle in his voice snuffed out when that same B1 raised its blaster rifle and shot his friend dead, straight through his helmet.


	2. A Twisted Irony: Chapter 2

A Twisted Irony

**19 BBY**

**Confederate Starship Inflexible**

Admiral Trench rapped his fingers impatiently on his command chair. Several days ago, his dreadnaught was disabled, the droid brain unresponsive and his synthetic crew rendered useless. Even General Kraken, the mighty supercomputer of a droid had slumped over lifeless onto the Durasteel floor, his innate computational aptitude did not stave away the shutdown command. Trench had kept his bearing in trying to correct this unfortunate circumstance, having dissipated the Bridge's droid brain autonomy and shunted control to manual input. The cyborg had managed to restore partial functionality to the _Inflexible_'s command matrix, and he had to personally repressurise the vessel's various subsections. He lamented that his command staff consisted completely of droids and made a point to one day assign some Neimoidian officers to command positions aboard the battleship, regardless of their ineptitude in battle.

The Harch was perplexed when eventually, some few hours after the droids were shut down, they reactivated, carrying on with their original commands as if nothing happened. Some of the B1s had muttered in protest as they were suddenly overcome with the responsibility of recalibrating the ship's myriad of internal systems, the computer having reset during their short hibernation. He had questioned his Super-Tactical Droid to almost no avail. Kraken didn't find anything in his logs out of the ordinary, but tapping into the Inflexible's systems had divined a long bandwidth transmission originating from the Mustafar System.

Confederate High Command wasn't being exactly helpful either. He had sent a general distress signal out before the reactivation, but the only response that he received was that of a short Aurebesh message, relayed indefinitely, ordering all assets to maintain radio silence. He has since conducted his standing orders, in that, protecting the staging area around Jabiim and Sy Myrth, protecting Raxus with the aid of the 27th Sector Armada and the 52nd Guards Flotilla. He was perfectly comfortable asserting a defensive position, especially with the Republic's attacks on Saleucami and Felucia nearby.

"Admiral," started Super-Tactical Droid Kraken, snapped the Harch out of his reverie, talking over at him from his gunnery oversight position. "New contact emerging out of hyperspace - large tonnage."

Trench rose up quickly, addressing the matter with the utmost seriousness and consideration. "Raise shields! All ships are to assume a defensive posture." Trench was waiting for this, he was ready for whatever the Republic was about to throw at him. The 27th Sector Armada was a formidable collection of ships centred primarily around three Lucrehulk-class Battleships that provided a trifecta of strike craft cover. He was not about to repeat the mistakes of the past by allowing a single, cleverly positioned stealth ship to run amok his entire formation, so he made it a point to have constant, rotating squadrons of droid fighters zipping about between the three Lucrehulks. The rest of the fleet was organised in a frigate line formation with twenty-six Munificent-class Star Frigates clustered in a wall in front of the command ship, two wolfpacks of seven Recusant-class light destroyers to act as fleet skirmishers, ready to infiltrate the Republic battle line, and pair of DH-Omni supply ships nestled close to Inflexible, poised to supply the fleet with critical munition deposits at any time.

They already had a third of their starfighters mobilised when the vessel emerged out of hyperspace some ways away from the armada.

"Analyse that ship, Kraken, _klikklikklik_. Standby all cannons," commanded the Admiral authoritatively.

"Sir," began Kraken. "Vessel has been identified to be that of a Subjugator-class Heavy Cruiser. Designation: _Audacious_. We are receiving a transmission signal... originating from Raxus."

"Now they want to speak, _klikklikklik_? Open frequency," he said in response, an inquisitive tone colouring his voice.

"Admiral," said the young man as he appeared on screen. His eyes seemed to swim up and down the Harch, evaluating the runic inscriptions on his armour. He gave a courteous bow, as was practised for a person of his prestigious upbringing.

"Senator..." The arachnid scrunched up his face in consternation, trying to place where he saw that politician before. "...Bonteri. I recognise you from the musings of the press around your mother's death. My condolences. My fleet has been ordered to take defensive positions around this sector. I have been afflicted by a loss of droid functions, _klikklikklik, _across my entire battle group. Do you have an explanation for this."

"Now, Admiral, there have been a great many things that you might not be aware of. There were... traitors in our midst, manipulations in the shadows. The Separatist Parliament has been charged with the amendment of the Bylaws of Independent Systems in the aftermath of this discovery under the advisement of the late Count, after which we maintained a halt on all communications in the pursuit of additional saboteurs. Under the new provisions, the Head-of-Government, the Chairman, will be organising a Cabinet of Ministers, if you will, in substitution of the Separatist Council. This would be quite pertinent to you, Admiral, for the military is being reorganised under the Ministry of the Armed Forces. You have been appointed to stand at the head of this department if you so desire."

"That is-" Trench stopped himself, considering Bonteri's words for a moment. He refrained from asking a few festering questions in favour of just accepting this promotion of sorts. "_Klikklikklik_ that is a wise decision."

"Good," Bonteri nodded, looking a bit relieved. "Then, in normal circumstances, I would summon you to Raxus to administer an oath of office, but in this time of war, we can afford no such luxury. Take this vessel before you as your flagship, Admiral. Your orders are to deflect any enemy counter-attacks over Kashyyyk and to reinforce our garrison there. 27th Sector is being redesignated as the 1st Confederate Strike Fleet in accordance with its new role as the vanguard of Separatist naval projection. You are to get underway quickly, the Republic, or Empire as they call themselves, are surely going to try to retake the world."

"By your command, Senator Bonteri," his cybernetic eyes adjusting in mild confusion.

"The relevant details have been placed on the command bridge of _Audacious_ and communications silence is now lifted. Good luck," He straightened, fixing a proper salute to bid farewell to the Admiral. "Prime Minister Bonteri, out."

"Kraken, begin the transition of our command staff aboard the _Audacious_. We will chart a course, _klikklikklik_, to the Kashyyyk system from there."

* * *

**19 BBY**

**Confederate Starship Audacious, Thanos System**

The Separatist Fleet emerged from hyperspace in perfect, little rows, gently reflecting the light of the system's star. This picturesque depiction did not coincide exactly with the ships' interior, all of them abuzz with cold, unfeeling automatons that exhibited absolute seriousness to the task at hand...

"Hey! This isn't Kashyyyk," said a befuddled B1 Battle Droid Navigation Officer as he leaned back in his chair trying to run diagnostics on his logic processors.

"You missed the system," said another one of them, pointing at the nav screen in disbelief.

"Oh. Stupid computer."

"Bring us about, _klikklikklik, _adjust heading and engage hyperspace." Trench was annoyed but he couldn't really blame them. Even he had to get used to the _Audacious's _advanced command systems. The engines' capacity for thrust was also something of a wonder, it's remarkable that a ship of that size could move so quickly.

It was also remarkable how sensitive the sensors were.

"Belay that order! Order the fleet into offensive formation and jam the enemy's communications. Helm, _klikklikklik_, take us in." The Imperial vessel must have not noticed the battlegroup because the sensors were not reading any fighter scrambles or power surges to its weapon systems. Trench had just noticed it on the sensor field's periphery seconds after his droids did and it was just a single ship. It would be easy prey for him, but he wasn't about to destroy it. No, Trench intends to break down the proverbial front door.

"Charge the Ion Cannon and await my signal to fire," he ordered, the Imperial vessel now reacting to his presence, pointing its nose away from the fleet and running the calculations for a jump to hyperspace. He hadn't seen this model of ship before, it looked considerably more weaponised than the Venator class. Still, as numerous as those turbolasers and missile hardpoints were, a Subjugator surpasses it by several orders of magnitude. The force comparison also didn't help it, as the monstrous Separatist armada began bearing down, quickly getting into range. The new Imperial vessel spoke many times, and it spoke violently. Green streaks of energy swam across space, slamming into the shields of the advance guard of Munificents.

"Fire!"

_Audacious _too, spoke - but only once.

The field of ionised energy slowly encapsulated all of the enemy's fields of manoeuvre and caught it in a vice of disruptive energies, disabling it effectively. The crippled, grey starship listed lifelessly forward, its inertia the only thing propelling it through space, propelling it close to the waiting claws of the Minister-Admiral.

Two Star-Frigates aligned themselves to the enemy vessel's port and starboard, using their tractor beams cooperatively to hold it in place before deploying a boarding bridge between the ship and them. In the meanwhile, Trench had ordered a precision strike on the ship's communication's array as a precaution against the crew somehow restoring functionality to that system.

"Have the marine units gather prisoners and salvage important technologies. I want, _klikklikklik, _information..."

* * *

_Aboard the Star Destroyer..._

"Here! Here! Get ready, they're coming through!"

"Get that blaster turret up, twenty seconds!"

Clone troopers dutifully lined up in a shiny, impenetrable wall of plastoid before the burning outline appeared in the bulkhead. Their colouration suggested that they came from the 41st Elite Corps and they certainly showed with their well-drilled movements and scarred battered armour. Navy shipmen composed the boarding resistance's rear echelon, nestled behind studier looking barricades and appearing a fair bit more anxious than their infantry counterparts, due somewhat in part to the necessity of their wearing external life support respirators. A repeating blaster turret was being erected in the centre of the group, a particularly bulky looking clone responsible for its operation, slung the tibanna ammunition over his shoulders.

The circuit completed. An air of impossible silence permeated the Star Destroyer's cavernous hallways as its inhabitants held their collective breaths. Thermal detonators rolled out by the dozens, unceremoniously, to the feet of the clones' positions. Some reacted fast enough to roll out of the way, but many were caught in the ensuing blast. With not a moment to spare, B2 units filed out of the breach, spearheading the assault as weaker, but more numerous B1 units filed out behind them, intent on filling out the gaps left in the front line as it expanded to the entirety of the Star Destroyer's corridor. The turret gunner and his riflemen comrades held the line for as long as they could, scrapping clankers left, right, and centre. Their helter-skelter casualties, however, were simply stepped over as the droids walked stoically at their target, never stopping, forcing the initiative as thousands were funnelled unto the breach.

"Fall back, we cut off!" Yelled the Imperial lieutenant, his forces fleeing deeper into the heart of the Star Destroyer. The scene was identical all across the ship. With the rapid collapse of the grossly outnumbered clone regiment imminent, the personnel within having since resorted to a sort of decent mockery of guerilla warfare, certainly playing into the strengths of that particular clone legion. Clone troopers jury-rigged electrical wiring with power cell batteries from their droid poppers to create improvised tripwire traps. Their ingenuity, for the most part, bought enough time to for the ship's commanders to organise a last-ditch defence, hyper-fortifying critical junctions that are centralised around the bridge with as many blaster turrets, mines, sharpshooters, chokepoints, and barricades as possible.

The result was a localised strongpoint incredibly well defended against a direct frontal attack. The clones positioned along these points met the enemy with precise, but desperate blaster fire. The air simmered with the countless bolts that coursed through it. The back and forth mutualism of blaster exchanges blended together in some instances of purple, the red and blue bolts sometimes phasing into each other with increasing intensity, burning away the Star Destroyer's internal walls as they impacted its surface. The clones, behind hardened cover, felt the exponential loss of their own once the stray, occasional bolt got through. It stung even more so when they realised that the Separatists were fully intent on running them over with an unlimited body of droids from the surrounding fleet; the Separatist Insertion Pods disrupting the stalwart defenders even more.

One strong point, in particular, was collapsing quicker than the others. The clones there seemed to be firing in a different direction than at the droids. Their attention was split between the attacking forces and some moving point in their surroundings. The advancing pair of Droidekas coming upon that strongpoint discovered something curious, the defenders _and _the attackers were all dispatched. They unfolded into their tripod forms, careful to put up their shields in case this was some sort of elaborate ambush. They trudged forward, stepping over their comrades' blaster-marked hulls and made their way over to the unoccupied clone garrison. They studied the corpses inquisitively, one of them tapping the clone's arms with one of its tripodal legs. The droids seemed apprehensive all of a sudden, the clone's arm was sliced clean off. All of the corpses bore slash marks.

Progress was made in other parts of the ship as the droids slowly ground down the defenders, drowning them in a tide of metal. The Clone defenders fought tooth and nail, to the last man, engaging in vicious hand-to-hand combat with the approaching enemy forces. Eventually, backed into a corner, with one room between them and the bridge, the non-clone officers began laying down their arms in surrender, once Separatist forces closed in on them, shouting at them to do so.

A blaze of green whirled past as both clone and droid stopped briefly to counter the new threat. Something moved gracefully from unit to unit, cutting them down under the majesty of an emerald blade.

"Jedi! Open fire!"

"She escaped! Don't let her get close!"

The Jedi directed a force push to the ground, slamming both sides into the unforgiving metal walls. She dove into an open escape pod, about to activate an emergency departure when she recoiled, a droid insertion pod landing right in beside her, damaging the fragile capsule, rendering it inoperative. She leapt into action and made her way outside of the escape pod. A force premonition struck her right then, and she cut apart a Commando Droid that stood behind her. The Jedi ran, making her way down the corridors to the direction of the hangar bay. What droid forces she encountered was easily dispatched with some careful deflections of her lightsaber.

She seemed at least somewhat injured, but whatever wound she had had its pain suppressed by the Force. All that remained was a certain unyielding focus that motivated her movements and powered her reflexes. She pressed on and found the way to be blocked by an elite cadre of more Commando Droids, one of them fired a rocket at her. She reached into the Force, directed the missile into an air vent in the ceiling, and clambered inside after a short, powerful jump. Her lithe form was suitable in greatly expediting her sojourn in the ventilation shaft. She clutched the rebreather to her face and squeezed through the tight passageway onto the other side. The Jedi crept up to another bulkhead, sure in her convictions that behind this door would be the hangar.

She was about to start cutting through the bulkhead before she was interrupted by a pair of Droidekas. They opened fire immediately, inching forward all the while. The Jedi deflected most of their blaster bolts with ease, but she noticed that the Force wasn't exactly infallible at the moment and one too many shots came close to igniting her whole head. They were almost at point-blank range now, the Jedi's mind raced for a solution, a way she can drop her guard for just the moment to leap away, unscathed.

_Klikklikklik-_

She was stunned, her entire body lit up in pain and shock as a net enveloped her. It eventually subsided, settling just for rooting her in place as she craned her neck at her pursuer. A towering Harch materialised in her peripheral vision, making its way through a breach in the bulkhead she was about to cut into herself.

Admiral Trench bristled with laughter for a moment or two, exuding a low, rumbling chuckle as he signalled his Commando Droids through the breach to clasp the Jedi's arms in bindings, before releasing her from the electro-web. He ordered her stood up, a point of honour about looking your prisoners in the eye. "General Unduli. A prisoner under a Separatist Admiral? After being made a prisoner of her own trusted clones? _Klikklikklik,_ the irony is surely not lost on a Jedi."

"And you, Admiral Trench have my gratitude!" Luminara remarked sarcastically. "It was quite a rescue, however graceless. Though I do forgive your lack of finesse on the account of such a cordial introduction." Unduli liked to think of herself 2nd to only Obi-Wan in terms of scathing sarcasm and a sort of unique brand of dry humour.

Admiral Trench responded in kind, not about to be outdone by a Jedi of all people, "Then on behalf of the Separatist Alliance, I welcome you. I believe you will find your accommodations with us to be relaxing." The Admiral injected a bit of venom into those last few words, not even having to force a smirk.

The Harch made a motion to the Commandos, ordering them to take her back aboard the ship. They obeyed promptly, shoving the steadfast Mirialan along.


	3. An Uneasy Truce: Chapter 3

An Uneasy Truce

**19 BBY**

**Command Bridge, Audacious**

Admiral Trench ordered his fleet into a dauntless blockade occupying Kashyyyk's major hyperspace nodes. It was a potentially problematic set up, Kashyyyk by its very nature hosted multiple hyperspace inputs from all over the galaxy; he had to separate his armada into comparative divisions that would be able to dynamically respond to a threat from any direction. The remaining Acclamators on the planet's surface was preparing for an emergency dust-off before they had arrived, but with Separatist control over the planet's airspace, they were grounded almost immediately.

Trench had deployed his massive contingent of ground forces across the planet, waves of battle droids and spearheads of Separatist armour, and flights of Hyenas and Vultures closed the proverbial vice on the combined Clone expedition and Wookiee army. It is known to Separatist command, as proven during their foray on the Star Destroyer, that this particular corps of their unique brand of guerilla warfare and hit-and-run skirmishes. With both the support of the Wookie's fighting on their home soil and forcing them into a defensive strategy, it may take some time to root them out. Luckily for Trench, he had the perfect army to conduct a war of attrition.

He left the bridge, leaving the ground campaign in the capable hands of his Super Tactical Droid. He was more of shipman at the end of the day. He had more pressing matters to attend to anyways. He made his way off the _Audacious's _command wing and boarded the monorail to amidships. Walking with alacrity, he entered the _Audacious's _detention hall. Most of the cells that he passed by were empty, their containment fields deactivated. The Harch approached the one cell that wasn't, drawing the attention of one of the flanking Commando Droids that guarded it.

The Admiral observed the occupant closely, intrigued at the Jedi's posture. She was kneeling, her hands still bound as a precaution. She seemed unfazed by her unideal circumstances she was turned away from him, so Trench couldn't make out her expression if she was even making one.

"How long has she been like that?" He asked one of the Commando Droid guardsmen.

"Two weeks." The droid answered flatly.

"_Klikklikklik,_ since capture then," Trench snorted. He didn't like having to deal with Jedi, they were always a wild variable in his eyes. If what he knows about them held any water, then his prisoner would already know that he was there.

So he decided to take a risk.

Briefly deactivating the containment field before stepping through himself, Admiral Trench entered the same room as one of the Separatist Alliance's most lethal enemy. He cleared his throat cooly, speaking in the same tone as he would address an official of equal esteem, "General Unduli. You seem to be adjusting well to your new surroundings."

There was no response from the Jedi.

"Though I suppose, _klikklikklik,_ that it is not all too dissimilar from your cell aboard your late Republic's Star Destroyer." The Admiral was finding no joy in annoying her, the Jedi was stoic and detached, never moving even a muscle at his jabs, so he went straight on to more serious matters. "This world that my fleet is blockading is non-other than Kashyyyk. The resistance in space has fallen, and those still remaining on the ground will soon be, _klikklikklik, _eliminated. You have been betrayed, Master Jedi. You will find no friends in the Clones. The Jedi Order is coming to an end, General. You may as well have joined your comrades in the Force."

_**ZWOOOSH~**_

The cell wall's brutalist interior shown with a brilliant green as Admiral Trench activated Unduli's lightsaber. The Harch gave it a few practice swings, manipulating the weightless blade. Trench's keen cybernetic eye detected a slight increase in the General's breathing rate, imperceptible to the unaugmented. He spoke once more, "You are a General, I am an Admiral. Though you are not governed by the same sensibilities of rigorous instruction afforded by a war college, no, _klikklikklik, _sensitivity to the force drew out a unique strategic prowess that proved efficient against our armies," the Admiral paused, shutting off the lightsaber and threw it at the Jedi's kneeling form.

Luminara caught it mid-air, rising from her meditation and turning to face the Admiral. She did not activate the blade, however, choosing instead to rest her finger on the switch, poising into a pre-combat stance. She was open but ready.

Her wariness drew no significant reaction from Admiral Trench and he continued to speak, "For that, I would consider you my equal." He cackled half-heartedly to himself, "And what Jedi could speak without the extension of their identity!" He noted the Unduli's sceptical expression, her eyes were trained on him, studying him for any signs of deception.

She walked with him outside the cell, brushing past her elite pair of prison guards. She assumed a brief reprieve and relaxed her posture, walking with her lightsaber in its scabbard and her hands clasped neatly behind her. Her body seemed at peace, but her mind was less than content.

* * *

Palace Bonteri had only recently represented the leadership of the Separatist Alliance. The plaza, the landing platform built for the landing of varying diplomatic vessels, could scarcely support the barrage of footsteps from the Confederate Press, all of which seemed united in the sentiment of raucous interrogation, questioning Bonteri's neighbours as well as anyone that even had the most remote of connections to the newly appointed Prime Minister. Inside that gleaming citadel however was a scene of equal intensity, one occasionally marred by some disparate shouting as the Prime Minister's staff ran about every which way, carrying and dispatching all manner of official documentation.

"The Republic attack on Felucia is blunting according to my sources," said a pleasantly feminine voice in Lux's right ear.

"Scratch one planet for the Confederacy," Lux began, craning his head to the right to acknowledge his aid before refocusing his attention to the roster in his hands. "I don't suppose we could wrap up Mygeeto anytime soon?"

"Mygeeto continues to be a bitter stalemate, Your Excellency," replied the aide.

"Hopefully that changes. The tactical advantage we have with the reorganisation of Repub- err... Imperial command is something that we mustn't fail to exploit" Bonteri moved on, picking up yet another document from an adjacent sheaf to inspect, "I really cannot fathom how barbaric Grievous's methods were, Tamara. A bit more finesse and we wouldn't have these worlds fighting for their lives. They mean to think that we are on some sort of... war of extermination!" Lux rolled up the document and threw it down his bureau in frustration.

The Prime Minister slumped into his chair, bringing a hand up to massage his aching temples, "We were monsters..." Lux said solemnly.

"_Were_ being the keyword. I'm sure if Count Dooku meant for you to discover this, he expects you to make changes, sir," Tamara's tone seemed emphatic if still coloured by staunch professionalism.

Lux pulled back his hair, refocusing, bringing his eyes to level with his aide, "These wars of extermination will end, that much is for certain. Send a missive to Minister Trench to pursue diplomatic reconciliation with Chieftain Tarfful on Kashyyyk." He marched out of the office wearing a notable scowl, shouting back at the aide before he left, "And no more slaves!"

He left the room, brushing past the swath of staffers and coming upon the palatial doors that separated his chaos from the chaos outside. He pushed ahead with half-lidded eyes, partially shielding himself from the thousands of camera flashes trained on him. IG-100 droids stood guard over a small passageway between the crowds, their electro-staffs failing to intimidate the voracious reporters. Walking along a violet carpet previously unfurled by his staff, he was hit with an epiphany. Really, the issues that he discovered with the government's system was a lack of transparency.

With a determined right-face, he faced one side of the crowd, waiting for a question.

"Prime Minister, Prime Minister! Did the Separatist Government test the Defoliator on Lurmen innocents in Maridun?!" said one reporter shoving a microphone in the man's face.

"The previous government did, yes. We are currently investigating other accusations of war crimes committed by the military," he replied.

"Is it true that the military invaded Scipio because the government forced Senator Clovis to raise interest rates on the Republic?"

Bonteri had an uncomfortable expression on his face as he partially answered the question, "Yes, that was the Count Dooku's_ casus belli. _Conversely, this government would aim to restore neutrality and transparency to the InterGalactic Banking Clan."

"Was this government responsible for the manufacture and attempted distribution of the Blue Shadow Virus on Naboo?"

Bonteri furrowed his brow; this was going to be harder than he thought. "Doctor Nuvo Vindi was under the employ of Separatist Alliance as a medical officer first and foremost. The regulatory infrastructure necessary to oversee his activities did not exist. Were I in charge, I would have terminated the project in its infancy." He was not all too appreciative of the Faust's insanity, but the effectiveness of the Press to retrieve such sensitive information was unpalatable. His position as Prime Minister seems to now be constrained by all of the military's ethical baggage now.

"Are we trying to reclaim Geonosis, sir?!"

"I will be answering more of your questions in Raxulon at my next press conference," Lux said dismissively, wanting to consult with the general staff first before making any promises to the people. He proceeded down the thoroughfare and entered the armoured speeder, another aide closing the door beside him. He settled in the old cushion. It was an elegant seat, crafted of the finest materials, but it was old and it caused him a bit of a shiver as it gave way to his body.

The speeder peeled off the landing platform, making a dull hum that suppressed itself with the pleasant orchestral music played about the cabin. Bonteri reached into the speeder's small beverage complement and retrieved a fresh bottle of Pamarth wine. He thumbed the stem of his glass for moment, studying his reflection in the crystal surface before raising his voice to address his driver, "To the High Commissioner's Office, sir." The draft resolution for the Universal Rights of Species demanded review from the newly appointed director. Bonteri wanted to get his input before presenting it to Parliament.

"Yes, Prime Minister. And might I suggest the Alderaanian wine instead."

Bonteri paused. He ran a hand to rub over his chiselled features before focusing on his driver, observing closely the back of his capped head. "I didn't expect you Republic types to be so savvy in subterfuge."

"You learn a thing or two by dodging reporters." Bail Organa wore a tired expression, but one tweaked with slight amusement.

"Perhaps I should follow your example then," Bonteri replied jovially. "If you're here on Raxus, then... good news?"

Organa went right to business, "The Count is getting settled aboard my starship. I've been told that he'll be meeting with your chief of security this afternoon."

"That's good then," Bonteri said, sipping from his glass. "After this, I would hope to prepare him to address the people. They're probably still shaken from our near defeat."

Organa squinted at that, asking, "Yes, I have heard the reports from the front. Kashyyyk was still being contested after I left."

"You visited Kashyyyk? Whatever for?" Bonteri said with a hint of awe.

"I needed to recover an old friend. A lot has changed since the Empire took over, that much is certain. What isn't certain is what is to become of the Republic's most cherished institutions, that of the Jedi Order, conventions to warfare, even the Senate's position in this new galaxy is threatened," said Organa, pulling up to the High Commissioner's office, a stark, beech coloured building supported by impressive flying buttresses that perfectly captured Raxulonic architecture.

"Then," Bonteri began carefully. "It would only stand to reason that we should keep each other in close confidence for the sake of galactic democracy."

Organa tightened his lips in response, "It's too soon. This meeting was already extraordinarily risky to organise. I would, if I were you, consider speaking only through back channels and never directly. Compartmentalise your intelligence and meet with my informants and we could potentially trade information."

Bonteri nodded in understanding, "And if you are to be discovered, sever ties with us immediately." The Prime Minister extended his hand to the Senator, offering an earnest handshake from behind the seat.

"In the meantime, I will gather allies. Not everyone is so convinced of Palpatine's promises." Organa shook the young man's hand, tilting his hat as the Prime Minister stepped out from the hovercar.

"May the Force be with you."

* * *

"Diplomacy?" Luminara questioned as she boarded the Sheathipede-class shuttle with a course laid to the surface of Kashyyyk. "My intelligence determined that the Separatist Alliance was to take this world by force and through force subjugate the local population after driving out Republic garrisons."

Admiral Trench considered the Jedi's words for a moment, and even he seemed moved by her evident confusion. "It seems... times have changed and so must the military. Our approach toward the Wookies has only agitated resistance on the surface. _Klikklikklik- _ It would be better to now negotiate from a position of strength, my forces are poised to strike at Hoorrkhukk, the final stronghold of Wookie resistance. I can only hope that their... Chief Tarfful can listen to reason."

"If our positions were reversed, then I would see no reason to trust you. Your dealings with the Trandoshans have ensured that Wookie shipping and intergalactic travel will always be under siege by pirates and slavers. Not to mention this invasion."

"That is why you are here, Master Jedi. Tarfful would be slow to trust an Admiral of the Separatist Alliance, but with you as part of my attaché, we may yet see peace on this world. _Klikklikklik- _We have requested of the garrison of Hoorrkhukk for a ceasefire in order to discuss terms under the old laws of the Republic, perhaps if we show some acknowledgement for the old symbols and banners of peace, they may respond in kind."

Luminara's eyes washed over the folded-up flag under the arm of the Separatist protocol droid. Not even having to fly freely, she could recognise the bold colouration to be that of an old Republic banner that symbolised a call for peace and discourse. It was only a formality of course, for the Admiral had already hailed the enemy garrison and expressed the plea to end to hostilities and to discuss terms on contested ground. With the Admiral's forces prepared to lay siege on the city, before forcing open the Wookie's defences by sustained bombardment, it seemed that Chief Tarrful had no choice but to accept. Luminara expected begrudging attendance but at the same time, unenthusiastic collaboration.

When the parties arrived at the near bombed-out building that sat perfectly between the positions of each side, not a word was spoken. A simple wooded table was prepared for the delegates to congregate at, accompanied by a large, traditional wicker basket that was brought in by Chewbacca, one of Tarfful's lieutenants. The Wookie deposited his bowcaster inside, the rest of the Wookie bodyguards doing the same with Tarfful last, careful to the end, positioning his bowcaster so that it may be handle-up.

Admiral Trench traded looks with Luminara during this display, and after an urging gesture from the Jedi, relented, and disconnected his electroweb launcher and placed it in the basket alongside his blaster pistol. In response, Unduli submitted her lightsaber, with the sortie of commando droids then throwing in their E-5's. The protocol droid took its position at the head of the table as a symbol of true neutrality and also as added respect to the importance of an interpreter. Chewbacca sat on the opposite end, acting as the protocol droid's counterpart, ensuring that no linguistic nuance is made to be misunderstood.

Admiral Trench decided to break the silence, jumping in with a greeting as stern and official as ever, "I am Minister Trench, and on behalf of the government of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, we seek to make peace with Kashyyyk and her inhabitants." He passed along a piece of parchment, the official armistice to be signed at the end of the convention, to the centre of the table.

Tarfful growled at them making a long, intense vocalisation that the protocol droid translated as, "If what you are looking for is our surrender, you will not have it." The Cheif did not even look at the paper, crossing his arms and glaring harshly at the Harch, but perplexed at the Mirialan.

The latter spoke then, "Count Dooku is dead, the Confederate leadership as you knew is also dead. The Admiral that you see before you, Chief Tarfful, serves not the government that sponsored the enslavement and exploitation of your people. From what I have seen, it seems their aims for peace are genuine.

"That may be so," rumbled the Cheif, "But I will not trade one tyrant for another. Empire, Confederacy, I only want Kashyyyk to be free from these manipulations." The Protocol Droid relayed this to its charge, it's voice attempting to replicate the Wookie's emotional state too.

"Then let it be known that we have no desire for Kashyyyk's allegiance to the Confederacy. _Klikklikklik- _We only desire your neutrality for the remainder of this war. In exchange, we offer up to 2 _klikklikklik- _billion credits in reparations and maximum reasonable deference to your trade organisations for all Confederate civilian shipping traffic operating in this system.

Tarfful's expression seemed that of light shock, he did not expect the Confederacy of all things to restrict themselves so heavily on Kashyyyk trade lanes. It would certainly help that their shrewd corporations no longer undercut Wookie exports. Still, he showed more defiance, blustering that, "It is not only a matter of commerce that your droid armies have abused, but a matter of honour. Countless sons of Kashyyyk became laid out in chains because of your support for the abominable Trandoshans. Control of trade will not matter if our merchants are constantly besieged by state-sponsored pirates."

Trench seemed eager to reply, "The Separatist Parliament has recently reformed the office of customs with an anti-piracy initiative that blankets all of Confederate space. We will aggressively hunt down all illegal piracy and smuggling to safeguard these lanes. We are prepared to extend that bubble, _klikklikklik-_ to you. At no obligation, no cost, for a hundred standard years. Additionally, the neutrality of your world is crucial to us... so much so that the Separatist people shall rally to your defence, _klikklikklik-_ a guarantee of independence if you will, should the Empire wish to impose themselves onto your world and your interests."

Luminara interjected, "If I may, should the noble Chief accept, I may act as a liaison between Kashyyyk and the Separatists. While I am not as well versed with Wookie culture as Master Yoda was, I know enough."

"Something to consider," Trench mused. "After we report to Raxus _klikklikklik-_"

Chief Tarrful seemed pensive for a moment, his body language seemed more relaxed, if still assertive. He gave a low grumble to Chewbacca, scratching his nose and laying his heavy palms face down on the table. The protocol droid offered the translation, "Fine. Let the negotiations begin...again."


End file.
